Iran warns of regional turmoil if US threats and attacks do not stop

What the report says

Al Jazeera reported that Iran warned it could expand attacks in the Gulf region if United States military strikes continue, after 11 consecutive nights of US attacks that the outlet said included hits on Iranian power plants and roads. The warning came on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, from Iran’s chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who posted on X that if Iran cannot sell oil in the region, others would not either, and that infrastructure would remain at risk unless Iran’s security is protected.

The escalation followed threats by US President Donald Trump to strike additional Iranian power plants and bridges. Al Jazeera said both sides have targeted civilian infrastructure, noting that such attacks are prohibited under international law unless the sites are being used for military purposes. Iran’s Ministry of Health said US strikes since late last month had killed 53 people, including three children, and wounded 590.

According to the report, Iran has recently attacked US allies Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan, including water and power facilities in Kuwait. An attack on a Jordanian air base reportedly killed three US service members, while another US soldier died in Erbil, Iraq, during a controlled detonation of an attack drone, bringing the US military’s stated death toll in the war to 18.

The confrontation also threatens major energy routes. CENTCOM said the Strait of Hormuz remains open despite Iranian threats and attacks, while Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen declared a blockade of Saudi ports near the Bab al-Mandeb route. Al Jazeera reported that diplomatic efforts to rescue an interim US-Iran deal are faltering, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying Washington is open to talks if Tehran is serious.